Cyclist jailed in theft of copper at tower

Regional Report - Crime report

September 29, 2009|By Gary Taylor, Sentinel Staff Writer

Volusia County

David McDonald looked suspicious to deputy sheriffs. After all, he was wearing a mask with a helmet-style flashlight on top, was sweating heavily, had cuts and scrapes on his shins and burglary tools were sticking out of his pockets and waist pack, sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said. Add that it was 3 a.m. and he was riding a bicycle away from a Verizon cell phone tower where a burglar alarm had sounded, and deputies thought they had their man. Near the gate to the tower, west of Edgewater, they found a duffel bag stuffed with about $500 worth of freshly cut copper wire, Davidson said. McDonald, 35, of Port Orange faces charges that include burglary, grand theft, theft of copper and possession of burglary tools.